Somewhere on the outskirts of reason... Or where good television can be found.

Friday, October 26, 2018

The Bad Somethings

Riffs that were steeped in the hard rock of the 1970s, lyrics that don’t require much brainwave activity, and there’s even some cowbell. And you’re gonna want that cowbell.

“Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” opens up the festivities with straight ahead hard rock sensibilities and even manage to work in a rhyme with “cat’s meow”. It’s the opening track on the debut album from The Bad Somethings. They're from the North Carolina Triad area. Business picks up the pace with an obscure cover of the Albatross tune “Let It Roll”. Now what would a 70s style hard rock tune be without an obligatory Ace Frehley style lick in the guitar solo?

“Along For The Ride” definitely caught my ears because I’m a sucker for the flange effect and “headphone music”. I’m hearing a little bit of The Knack in this particular cut from the album.

“Oh Honey” sounds like it could have been a track that wasn’t on Ace Frehley’s 1978 solo album. So yeah, Kenny Richie and Leo Davidson certainly wear their hearts on their sleeves. And judging from influences, they’re wearing sleeveless shirts because we’re hearing that they’re actually sporting those influences as tattoos. That’s not a bad thing because the songs aren’t regurgitative crap. The Bad Somethings are merely celebrating a great time in hard rock history.

“Body Language Psychology” sounds a bit like a Bob Seger tune with a Marshall stack steroid shot. The opening riffs of “My Bike” sounds like a tribute to Deep Purple, but then it becomes a KISS-like tune. But I’m not sure if the lyrics are actually referring to masturbation or not. “High Speed King” is a tapestry of influences both musically and lyrically. The guitar solo isn’t flashy, but it certainly brings attention to the melodic messages underneath the lyrics. “End Of The Night” has practically the same lyric melody of KISS’ “Tomorrow And Tonight”. It’s a toe-tapper without being a total rip-off. The last track finds the band tucking the “rooster” back in the pants for this rocker… Which is the only song that I could do without. It’s one of those self-help type of cheerleader type of songs… “Rah! Rah! You can do it!”

Overall, the self-titled new album from The Bad Somethings is pretty darn good. It certainly speaks volumes when it comes to the music that influenced Richie and Davidson. The Bad Somethings self-admittedly aren’t out to break new ground. It’s a fun album. And if you’re a fan of hard rock from the 1970s, then you should definitely check it out.

I grade it a B-.

You can find the videos here on YouTube. The album is available for streaming on just about any platform.